The new Albany Stadium Pool complex, envisaged more than 12 years ago to cater to the exceptional growth in the area, opened in January this year much to the excitement of locals. The new leisure and swimming facility caters to all ages and includes interactive water features such as the over-the-pool climbing wall, a splash pad, inflatables, water cannons, an adult spa and sauna, and a state-of-the art fitness centre. The exterior of the new complex was completed with stylish new paving from Firth’s PaveWare® range.
Lee Brazier, and the team from Bespoke Landscape Architects, worked with Council to develop a design which wedded the new Albany Stadium Pool building into the existing context of the Albany Stadium site. “The Council had a desire to create a strong pedestrian spine along the front of the building which could be extended in the longer term thus creating a link from the Stadium entrance through to Don Mckinnon Drive,” explains Lee. “It was important that the entrance to the pool was clear to users and that the first impression had a sense of quality at the point of arrival.”
“We have used Firth pavers, in particular the Piazza®, on a number of projects in the past, and they have produced great results in achieving the scale, quality and design intent that we required. They are quick and efficient to lay and also relatively cost effective for projects of this scale.”
“We supplied a Bush Hammered Piazza®, PaveWare® paver (400L x 200W x 60 or 80D mm) in Graphite, Black Sands and Sand Storm which was a made to order,” says Stuart Girvan, Technical & Specification Advisor (Masonry) from Firth. “There were also some Holland®’s (200L x 100W x 80D mm) in Natural.”
Lee explains that the colours and pattern expressed in the paving was intended to have a direct reference to the underlying geology of Auckland’s North Shore - clay soils and sandstone cliffs.
“There wasn't anything overly special about the order from our perspective, the Sand Stone was a special run, but the design Lee and Bespoke came up with by using a combination of colours and sizes with sections of coloured concrete, have made the entrance look very impressive,” says Stuart. “It’s great to see how our products can be combined to produce a very functional and stylish end result.”
Lee and the team from Bespoke are pleased with the outcome that has been achieved on the Albany Stadium Pool project. “We are excited to see the longer-term activation of the Albany area as this becomes more populated and developed. We were honoured to have the opportunity to work with Auckland Council and the entire project team to make this project a reality.”
Project Details
Principal: Auckland Council
Architect: Creative Spaces
Landscape Architect: Bespoke Landscape Architects
Project Manager: RDT Pacific
Main paving contractor: Peter Robinson Paving
Location: New Albany Pool complex
Product: PaveWare® Piazza® - Bush Hammered in Graphite, Black Sands and Sand Storm
PaveWare® Holland® - Natural
